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Corn, Wine and Oil are the materials used by Masons for consecrating purposes. Corn is the symbol of nourishment; wine is the symbol of refreshment, and oil is the symbol of joy. They are also emblematic of peace, health, and plenty

The ceremony of consecrating religious edifices to the sacred purposes for which they are intended, by mystic rites, has been transmitted to us from the remotest antiquity. "History," says Dudley, "both ancient and modern, tells us that extraordinary rites, called rites of consecration or dedication, have been performed by people of all ages and nations, on the occasion of the first application of altars and temples, or places, to religious uses." Thus, Moses consecrated the tabernacle, Solomon the first Temple, and the returned exiles from Babylon the second. Among the Pagans, ceremonies of the most magnificent nature were often used in setting apart their gorgeous temples to the purpose of worship. A Masonic Lodge is, in imitation of these ancient examples, consecrated with mystic ceremonies to the sacred purposes for which it had been constructed."